Chemistry
Chemistry Students Win Awards at Regional Conference
Six undergraduates attended the Southeastern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society (SERMACS) last week to present their research and participate in competitions against other universities in the region. Taylor Pinto, Jacob Scantland, Abigail Rossi and Lilly Pipkin participated in the College Chemistry Quiz Bowl and won first place. Ilysa Crouch and Meredith Borst won the Chemical Demonstration Exchange competition with a color changing secret message demonstration that teaches acid-base concepts. The Department of Chemistry would like to congratulate these students for representing our university so well!
New Course for Spring 2019 (Brewing Chemistry)
The Department of Chemistry is offering a new course in the Spring 2019 semester -- "Special Topics: The Chemistry and Impact of Beer" (CHEM 4970 - 001). This new QEP-enhanced course will cover the four major ingredients of beer (water, grain, hops, and yeast), and how these ingredients are combined to make various beer styles, including the brewing process. The laboratory will cover a variety of analytical methods used in the quality control process and an in-depth look at various compounds found in beer. The course is being offered on Mondays and Wednesdays this spring from 1:30 pm to 2:50 pm, with a laboratory session on Friday from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm. The course is open to all majors. The instructors are asking that students enrolling in the course have completed at least one year of college chemistry (CHEM 1010/1020 or CHEM 1110/1120). Contact Dr. Cashman (dcashman@tntech.edu) or Dr. Callender (acallender@tntech.edu) for a permit to enroll.
Journal of Creative Inquiry Call for Submissions
The Journal of Creative Inquiry (JCI), a publication that spotlights undergraduate research and creative activities, is currently seeking submissions for its upcoming issue. All majors are welcome to submit to JCI, but students must either be current or recent undergraduates. The submission deadline is Monday, Nov. 26. JCI is part of Tennessee Tech's Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). https://www.tntech.edu/oci-qep/students/the-journal-of-creative-inquiry For more information, contact jkkelle43@students.tntech.edu | (931) 372-6950
Amanda Carrol Named to National ACS Board
Amanda Carroll, a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, has been selected to serve on the American Chemical Society Undergraduate Programs Advisory Board. She will serve a 3-year appointment to this board (2018-2021), which reports to the ACS Committee on Education in matters relevant to improving the experience of undergraduate students in the American Chemical Society. Jennifer Nielson, the chair of the education committee, stated "Your familiarity with ACS, your experience in undergraduate education and your involvement in the ACS student chapters program position you well to contribute significantly as a member of the Advisory Board." Carroll is also the advisor of the TTU Student Members of the American Chemical Society, which is ranked in the top 10 percent nationally as an outstanding chapter. She is also the secretary of the Nashville Section of ACS.
Tech breaks ground for new lab science building
Phonsnasinh, Bailey (Published Monday, November 6, 2017)
Construction of a new lab sciences building at Tennessee Tech is officially underway and was celebrated at a groundbreaking ceremony Friday afternoon.
“It’s really once in a lifetime opportunity to create something like this,” said university President Phil Oldham. “I couldn’t be prouder of the faculty and staff that have participated in bringing a collection of ideas together in a way that is going to really benefit Tech students for generations to come.”
The $90 million, 160,000-square-feet facility will be the largest academic building at Tech and the its first LEED certified building, housing the chemistry department, a portion of the biology department and lab space for earth sciences, physics and environmental sciences.
The new building replaces Foster Hall and will be the anchor for a new academic quad located immediately north of the Capital Quad residence halls on the site of a current parking lot.
“The people involved in this project have been very dedicated,” said Department of Chemistry Chair Jeff Boles. “They have been, and in some cases continue to be, involved in everything from classroom and laboratory design to flooring and furniture selection.”
A team of more than 40 faculty members worked closely with architects Upland Design Group in Crossville and Bauer-Askew Architecture in Nashville on the building design. Together they have incorporated collaborative spaces unlike any that have ever existed at Tech as part of the building’s design, allowing faculty and students to interact and work together in an unprecedented way.
“President Oldham wanted us to be fearless,” Boles said. “He wanted to be forward-thinking. He wanted us to design something better, something bigger, something ready for tomorrow that not only fostered and supported growth in enrollment but professional growth in faculty, staff and students.”
Design features focus on collaborative space, active learning and “Science on Display,” which is the appropriate use of glass in a building so that people can see what goes on.
“This building can best be described in the experiences that it will make possible,” said Department of Biology Chair Rob Kissell. “Those experiences are going to be transformative experiences, they are going to be enhanced experiences and they are going to be collaborative experiences. The new building will be transformative on campus on many levels.”
Upland Design Group in Crossville and Bauer-Askew Architecture in Nashville previously worked on Bell Hall, home of the Whitson-Hester School of Nursing.
The Christman Company, which also built Ray Morris Hall, home of the Millard-Oakley STEM Center, is the contractor for the building project.
The project was funded by the State of Tennessee in the university’s 2016 budget appropriation.
Alumni Spotlight
John Turney, Class of 2007
JOHN TURNEY
CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER, OLD WORLD INDUSTRIES
John completed his B.S. in Chemistry from Tennessee Technological University and then earned an Executive MBA in Strategic Leadership and Internal Business from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
John joined Old World Industries in 2014 as the Technical Director responsible for the global development of key chemical and functional fluid technologies, as well as establishing global OEM relationships from a technical perspective. John has significant experience as a business leader in the chemicals industry and is focused on achieving sustainable global market growth through the development of advanced chemical technologies.
Old World Industries (OWI) began as a small chemical trading company. After 45 years, it has grown into a multi-billion dollar global powerhouse for the automotive, chemical, and agricultural industries.
Old World Industries has been a leader in the development and distribution of high-quality automotive and heavy-duty products for more than four decades. For nearly the same amount of time, PEAK (one of their major product lines) has been actively involved in motorsports as a way to highlight the excellence and competitive quality of its family of brands. From partnerships with such racing icons as Dale Earnhardt and John Force to title sponsorships of international series, specifically, the NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series, PEAK has successfully utilized motorsports to showcase PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze and BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid and Equipment.
Prior to joining Old World, John held leadership positions at Cummins Inc., where he directed the development and global commercialization of new heavy-duty coolant technologies.